Wendy you have to check out this air nozzle. I know you have a compressor going, so that's loud, but it reduces noise, and it's the best damn air nozzle I've ever used. You have to use it to experience how well it works. I just got a few in at work, and am in love with them.

Wendy & Dan, wowwwww. Watching you both in full production swing is impressive- thanks for letting us tag along and watch. I'm excited to see where you're heading w/ the volcano bowl- I also love the bowls you've made in the past. The finished Cannibal Swap bowl is scary stuff- and awesome stuff at the same time.

littlegiles, hysterical. Great pic. Thanks for pointing out how Wendy can mix classic artists w/ cannibals. Do I see a Botero Bob in the future? Just kidding.

Jon/ Hale Tiki, I agree w/ you 100% about bowls- though I've been seeing lots of great ones recently.

Wendy, thanks for showing me your way of building the volcano, good stuff. I haven't worked w/ a big piece and carved it out- but makes a lot of sense. Bigger thanks for the rum soaked sugar cube. I (am now embarrassed to admit this) have not heard of/ seen this before. (Why haven't I?)

It's nice to be home, and checking TC every morning to see what progress you've made on another beautiful mug! Very excited for the bowl.

Dan - When we come out there, I'd love to see your record collection, and equipment collection, and talk music (and tiki, of course). I love that you make handwritten notes for them. I always intend to do that for things, but am so spoiled by the digital world that I either get lazy, or try to do things digitally, and then lose them for one reason or another. I might borrow you idea, and start keeping a stack of index cards next to my record collection. I remember a lot of it, but I can't remember it all.

On 2013-06-14 10:22, TikiTacky wrote:Wendy, the Offerings page on your website gives me a PHP error and trying to send an email alerted me your mailbox was full. Do you have an online store anywhere?

She does not. And her websites haven't been updated in awhile. Her most recent work is always here, and under Gallery. Look on page 1 for whatever project she's currently working on, to get on the list for it. Wendy is so busy making tiki mugs, that there's no such thing as "In Stock" for her. If there's anything in particular that she's made that you like, just shoot her a message about it. Some things are no longer made though, or can be made, I should say. Ah, I almost forgot about the wish lists. Wendy has what she calls Wish Lists, which are people that want certain things made. And in between making crawl mugs, or doing art for events, or doing runs of mugs like the Severed Head (which again, is one of my favorite tiki mugs. I love it, Wendy.), she finds the time to make mugs for individuals. So let her know, and she'll be sure to add you to the wish list, and let you know when your mug will be made!

I hope you don't mind me answering for you, Wendy. Just figured I'd save you a little time.

EDIT: And Tiki Tacky, if you already knew everything I said up there. Then, uh, have a drink!

Hale Tiki Dan thinks it may be the one we have but at $22 I just ordered it from Amazon. I'll let you know how it goes when it arrives.

TikiAno the cannibal bowl is creepy but with that topic I choose not to make it funny. We are working all day 7 days a week unless we have a medical appointment. At our age that seems once a week. We signed up for an experimental treatment with light that knocks out pain. It's up for approval with the FDA. It's pretty cool.

Dan loves bowls best, vintage and new.

We have some old bowls that show that the sugar cube trick was used in them. I don't think it cleans up very well.

Diaper wrapped mugs? Ha! ... They are our babies.

Hale Tiki thank you. We have 200 of those diapers. Dan wants to go to an old folks home and donate them. That may happen.

I'm glad the cannibal bowl is getting a ok response.

Dan loves to talk music and tiki and he can even do it in Spanish!

Loki-Tiki you are so right and the are the only babies we can call our own.

Hale Tiki me too because Dan and I have called our tiki creations our babies.

TikiTacky hi, I always notice your posts because we have a TCer here in our group called TackyTiki.
If the mailbox that is full is from the site claytikis.com I'll have to see if I can find it. I didn't know it had one. The site was a gift from a nephew many years ago. The best way to contact me is with a personal message (PM). If you give me your email address I'll write you there or here.

I'm not fond of selling so I just let people ask me for things. I do have things for sale. I post photos and if no one asks for them I put them away. Let me know what you are interested in and I'll let you know if I have them on hand. Examples, Severed Head, Tiki Bobs, Crawl mugs from the past. I will probably open the next wish list around Thanksgiving and it takes me 6 months to fill the orders.

Hale Tiki good job.

TikiTacky I look forward to hearing from you.

Progress Report:

Up to #36 drying in the shed.

The first 11 have fired along with two Missionary's Downfall Bowls. One will go to Psycho Tiki D the second is up for grabs. Gecko is making my bowl too, I've seen it on eBay.

Each one gets a good bath inside and out and this is rinsed off in a second tub.

They soak up the water so I have to let them dry before glazing.

Sunbathing.

All done for that kiln load. Many more to do in the days ahead.

After a while mold soap will gather into spots and runs. It affects the cast tiki mug.
When this occurs I carve it out and sand the spots.

Dan dusting off the molds so we can pour #37 and #38. It's almost time to dump them out.

The Volcano Bowl

I cut out some grooves where the molten red hot lava will pour out.

Then with wet hands I smooth it inside and outside.

I should have put the volcano in the bowl for this photo. I'll do that in the future.

I carved out more clay to make it thinner.

When Dan hunts for tikis in antique stores I look for old kitchen tools I can use with clay.

I like this grater.

It looks like it could be the texture for lava but what I'm really doing is making a rough surface that another product will stick too.

I did it all the way around.

Forgive any errors there is no time to proof read we have to go pour out the mold RIGHT NOW!

TODAY IS THE GRAND OPENING OF MAHALO TIKI'S NEW STORE IN SACRAMENTO. PARTY AT 4 PM. We hope to see the Sac Ohana there. This event should not be missed.

It's Saturday. Dan and I went to a couple of garage sales and I found something terrific, two shelves that look just like those I've bought for my shed. Best part these were already put together and I got 2 for $10. Here's what we did to make room for them.

First we had to move the buttons for the electric garage door openers.
Then we put the shelf in place.
For the second location I needed some shim boards and Dan cut them
while I loaded my newly placed shelves.
Duct tape works well for a quick fix. So that's how I put the boards together.
I had room in this back corer of the kiln shed. After placing the shelf on
a 2 X 4 and shimming it with the duct taped boards it's good to go.

littlegiles now #37 and #38 crawl mugs are drying in the shed. The volcano project took a bad turn but it will mean I get to do more experimentation.

LoriLovesTiki the grater may be the way to go in the future but for now I'm hoping those holes prevent a product from sliding off.

I may stop the Crawl mug run at 50 and use the last 10 I pour as tests for glazes.

Philot I'm having fun with this volcano bowl, well most of the time. I didn't roll it out because this is faster. Think of adding an inside platform to a rolled out cone. Just too much risk when it comes to putting it in place without introducing an air bubble which could explode or crack the piece. Also the space you are working with is small.

hang10tiki I love tiki show biz.

Progress Report

Yesterdays heading said no cracks. I shouldn't have said that because yesterday I unwrapped the volcano and then forgot to wrap it back up later. Things that are of varying degrees of thickness must dry very slowly or crack. So by forgetting to wrap it up I cracked the bowl.

Top inside.

View from the bottom.

Is the volcano a lost cause? No I have a plan and also the experiment must go on. I just need it to finish drying.